Trunk-catch



C. HUNT. TRUNK GATGH.

(Model.)

No. 423,607. Patented Ma,1.18, 1890.

INVENTH CHW/ Heffi/y i 7 "BY ,Jh/'Mmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. HUNT, OF NEWARK, NEI/V JERSEY.

TRUNK-CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,607, dated March 18, 1890.

Application iiledrMai-ch 6, 1889. Serial No. 302,119. (Model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. HUNT, a'citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Trunk-Catches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification The object of this invention is to provide a trunk-catch of reduced cost of construction,

and one having peculiar minor advantages, such as will be hereinafter set forth; and it consists in the peculiar combinations and arrangements of parts, substantially as will be described, and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim. i

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure l is a front elevation of the improved catch. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, taken on line :n l Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the upper section or plate adapted to be secured upon the lid or cover of the trunk. Fig. 4 is a sec- -t-ion of the same, taken on line y. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the lower plate, taken on line z. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the lower plate or section. Fig. 7 is a plan of a certain spring which may be employed; and Fig. 8 is.

a top plan or edge view of thelower plate or section. Fig. 9 is a plan showing the back face of the pivoted catching-tongue.

In said drawings, a indicates the body of the trunk, and b the lid or cover thereof.

c 'indicates the ordinary valance arranged allow the catching-tongue to extend into engagement with the upperor cover plate and to receive the latter at its lower extremity, as indicated in Figs. l and 2, the said lower extremity of the upper plate` extending downward into the 'pocket formed bythe opening,-

and thus serving as a dowel to prevent any material lateral movement of the cover with respect to the body of the trunk, as will be understood. Y

On the inner side of the body-plate or section e is formed a stud f, castintegral with said body, as indicated in Fig. 5. Said stud.

is provided with prongs g g, which may be,

turned down to hold the catching or holding tongue h in place thereon. Said catchingtongue is arranged in pivotal relation to said stud and has a frictional bearing on the inner face of the plate e, or on 'a spring i', inter-y hold the said tongue into catching engage! ment with the co-operating catch and prevent slipping from holding engagement.v

At its pivotal end the catching-tongue is formed not only to bear against the plate e orspring t', as at h but also on the trunkbody, the surface engaging Said body being broad, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 9 at lo, so

that wear on said body and the play oonse- V,quent'thereon will be limited or reduced to a minimum. At the center of the bearing k the tongue is recessed, as at Z, to allow for t-he turned-down prongs g, as will be understood.

At the upper end the catching-tongue projects through the opening in the plate or section e, and providesa iinger-piece m, by which the said tongue may be pushed from or into holding relation to the cooperating catch. Back of the finger-piece or part m the holding-tongue is provided with an incline fn, adapted to be engaged by a portion of the upper plate, should said holding-tongue lie in the path of said port-ion on the descent of the cover, and cause the said holding-tongue to be turned aside and permit the continuance of such descent, as will be apparent upon reference to Figs. l and 9. Below said in oline n the tongue is hooked, as at o, to enter into holding relation with the co-operat- IOO ' guardor re-enforce the holding-tongue andY ing-catch projection j on the tongue being turned laterally on the stud f. The back face of the holding-tongue at its upper extremity is formed on an incline, as at p in Fig. 4, so that the portion s Vof the upper plate will not abruptly engage said tongue, but will be brought gradually into proper relation with the parts of the lower section of the catch.

The vmovement of the holding or catchingv tongue h is limited by lugs r r, formed at thev upper edge of the plate e, on the inside thereof, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 8. By means of these said lugs the upper extremity of the holding-tongue is prevented from passing beyond a proper point of engagement with the upper plate or section in its lateral movement. The upper plate or section cl provides a hood or protecting-ridge s, by means of which the exposed end of the holding-tongue is preventedfroin being inadvertently or accidentally disengaged, a horizontal bar or bearing s at its lower edge, against which the holding-tongue may slide in passing to and from engagement with the co-operatingcatch projection j, and said catch projection j having the holding-surface j to engage the hook and an inclined under surface ,i2 to act` vin throwing the holding-tongue laterally out of the way of the descending plate. The cooperating-catch projection bends forward, as shown in Fig. 4 at mso that the hook in passing into holding engagement therewith'passes behind the portion n, which latter acts to prevent breakage.

`Having thus described the invention, whatl claim as new is- 1. The improved trunk-catch herein vdescribed, combining therein an upper plate or section d, providing a horizontal bar s at the lower end thereof and a catch projection j, and a lower plate having apivotal stud at the back thereof and a holding-tongue having at its free end a vhook adapted to engage the said projection, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. The improved trunk-catch combiningan4 upper plate having a catch projection and a.

3. The improvedV trunk-catch herein described,having an upper plate with a catch projection j, and a lower plate having aholding-tongue pivoted thereon, the said tongue having the incline fn, and hook 0, bearing k,

,and recess Zfor the head of the pivot, said parts being arranged and combined substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The improved trunk-catch herein described, combining therein an upper plate adapted to extend down into a socket in the lowerplate and serve as a dowel therein and having a, hood or ridge for protecting the holding-tongue, and at its lower end having a bearing s', on which the holding-tongue may slide in its movement to and from the co-operating catch, and said catch j having a holding-surface j and an inclined under surface 3'2, and `a lower plate having a recess to receive the upper plate and having a pivoted holding-tongue adapted to enter into holding engagement with the catch of the upper plate, substantially as set forth.

A 5. The improved trunk-catch herein described, combining therein an upper plate serving as a dowel and provided with abea'ring on which the pivoted holding-tongue-may slide in its lateral movement to and from the catch j, and having said catch j, vwith an ineline 7'2 on the under side, and a lower plate recessed to receive the dowel upper plate and having a pivoted holding-tongue hooked, as at o, to enter into holding engagement with the catch in its lateral movement and having its back face formed on an incline-p at one side, having the incline n to cause the catch to move laterally out of the path of a portion of the upper plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The improved trunk-catch combining, with the upper section,-a lower section having an integral stud on the inner side thereof and having a laterally movable holdingtongue having a frictional bearing for the trunk-body and a recess to receive the head of the stud, and a spring z', interposed between the said lower section and said tongue, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of February, 1889.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, E. L. SHERMAN.

IOO

HENRY c. HUNT.` o 

